Palrim
=Location= Central Xaria. Surrounding lands (clockwise): Gesnor (N), Thorin (NE), The Badlands (E), Lindora (S), Dakkor (S/SW) =Land= The entire southern region of Palrim consists of vast rolling hills. A large pine forest range is situated on the eastern half. This forest extends north, continuing into the country of Gesnor. The border of Palrim and the Badlands is arid hills and the occasional mountain. West of the forest range along the northern border with Gesnor is the Colma Mountain Range. This range is dissected by the Colma River, which is the easiest route south from the northern neighbor. =Common Races= Humans, Dwarves, Fae =Resources= The country is well known for its wide variety of grazing livestock. They produce a high volume of meat, leather and dairy products. Although there is a large quantity of these resources produced, the quality is not high. There is not enough time to spend perfecting the craft. Instead, the workers must make certain that none of their resources go to waste. The Colma Mountain Range is rich in minerals. The miners make up a very small portion of the population and all materials acquired from these mines are traded immediately to Gesnor, so weapons can be made by the Gesni. The lumber of Palrim is considered sacred by its inhabitants and mages from across Xaria. It is Palrim’s richest natural resource. Rumor has it that staves made from Palrim’s woods enhance magikal enchantments twofold. These woods are under constant surveillance and protection by Palrim’s military. The trees are cut down very sparingly. Only a limited number are allowed for processing each year. Palrim lacks agricultural resources. There is not a lot of fertile ground for farming in Palrim. =Past= Prior to Palrim’s formation as a country, it was mostly made up of livestock herders and traders. There were no designations for land ownership and the herders let their animals graze upon the hills. Five Sages inhabited and protected the Sacred Woods. Those tired of their daily lifestyle sought these Sages out to learn the mystics behind the forest and any magik they could comprehend. In 325, the Sages received a vision. Although they had been spared direct attacks by the Beastmen, their time was coming. It was their belief that the only way to protect the Sacred Woods was to bind the nearby land together into a country and defend its borders. It did not take much to convince the nearby people, as they respected the wisdom of the Sages. The people immediately went to work creating the capital of Mulcott, which bordered upon the Sacred Woods. The Five Sages would now reside in the capital and make that the seat of power for the country. The Sages were no longer considered oracles for the land, but were now the rulers and referred to as the Sage Council. After two long and tiring years, the capital was finished and the country of Palrim declared official. Preparations for battle were in place when a hoard of Beastmen crossed the southern borders into the hills. The countrymen of Palrim fought well enough to hold them back, but casualties were high. Families were decimated and many children were orphaned. These children were taken under the wing of the Sages and taught the ways of magik and the importance of the Sacred Woods. The Beast Wars ended some fifty years later. With the country united, focus turned to making use of the resources. Work was readily available and soon the residents began to prosper. Towns formed along the borders and trade with outside countries began to flourish. Many years had passed and the Sage Council began to grow old. They had taken many disciples under their wing and these younger folk of Palrim would take the country into the next century. As the border towns grew, so did trade. Palrim began to have more relations with Gesnor and Thorin than any other country. In January of 487, Volek I eliminated “the Pick” council that ruled Gesnor and declared himself King. This brought some concern to the Sage Council. Rumors of the strength of the “Eagle Elite” was of great concern. Palrim was not a powerful military country and they had resources that Gesnor did not. One year later, Volek approached the Sage Council to become part of the “Three Peaks Accord” with Gesnor and Thorin. The Sage Council disputed the offer amongst themselves. They knew they were no match for Gesnor’s army and it would be beneficial to join in the pact. Palrim would have greater protection. The country would bring to the alliance a fair amount of magik and resources that neither Gesnor nor Thorin had. Several of the disciples of the Sage Council were against the accord and denounced the joining. They parted ways with the Sage Council. Palrim accepted Volek’s proposal and signed the Accord in November of 488. =Present= Recently, the border towns of Turin and Shaula have been under constant raids by Bandits from the Badlands. These two towns, now oriented toward trade, are perfect targets for the resource hungry Bandits. Military forces from Gesnor and Thorin have been brought in to protect the merchandise and atmosphere of these towns, but so far the Bandits have alluded them. An organized group, calling themselves the Quorum of 13 Mages, has sent word to the Sage Council of their disapproval of the “Three Peaks Accord”. While this group does not have the strength or backbone to directly confront the Council or any of the countries allies, they have been hindering some of the activity of the three using magik. Palrim has been patient with this group, but are receiving increasingly more pressure from Thorin and Gesnor to deal with the Quorum. In the last few years, there has been a shortage of food supplies. The demand from its allies has put an intense strain on the country to produce. Palrim has contacted Lindora, a country strong in food supply and resource, and has opened up trade on a very substantial level. Note: This is very outdated. The ongoing wars through much of Xaria have forced Palrim to be self sufficient. =Capital= Mulcott’s original purpose was as a last front to protect the Sacred Woods from an attack by the Beastmen. Since then, it has become a place of worship and awe surrounding the Woods, and the seat of power for the ruling Sage Council. The buildings are all made of stone from the nearby mountains, except the structure that houses the Council, which was made solely from the Sacred Woods. The only other wood used in the construction of the capital was for artistic masterpieces placed throughout the city. Towns of Note Shaula - The town of Shaula, located on the border of Palrim and Thorin, has grown in size, since its inception. It has become the major focal point of trade between the “Three Peaks Accord”. Most deals between the countries are made here. It has a very large marketplace for the wares of all three countries. Its only downfall is being located so close to the Badlands. It is subject to numerous attacks. The Bandits are very careful not to attack when armies from Thorin or Gesnor are present and waiting. Turin - This town is also located near the Badlands, but is also close to Lindora. Recently, Turin has facilitated a high volume of trade with Lindora for food stuffs. Turin is Palrim’s trading post to the rest of Xaria. Most trade items from Gesnor, Thorin and Palrim are purchasable here. =Government= The country is run by Five Sages, who make up the Sage Council. The original Sages were oracles for the land and protected the Sacred Woods. With the coming of the Beastmen, they formed the country of Palrim. The added responsibility of running a country, as well as protecting the woods, forced these Sages to take in children and teach them the importance of the Sacred Woods. These children would grasp an adequate amount of magik that would enable them to protect the woods. Each Sage would also take a disciple under his/her wing to groom. The disciples would then become Sages, when it was time for a ruling Sage to step down from the council. Each Sage has a vote on the Council. All five must vote and the majority rules. =Military= Palrim has a small army made up of local men who wish to protect the Sacred Woods. This force does not even compare to Thorin’s well trained dwarves or Gesnor’s massive army. A majority of Palrim’s forces are based in Mulcott and patrol the Sacred Woods. The rest are spread out along the border towns. The Icar Outpost, situated on the southwestern border with Dakkor, is made up of a limited number of Palrim’s military. A majority of the force there is from their allies, Gesnor and Thorin. This outpost keeps a careful watch on Dakkor to ensure that the “crazy” priests don’t show any intentions of infringing upon the Accord. =Of Interest= The Monastery of Thyr’hamar is located in the northwest corner of Palrim. Separatist monks built Thyr’hamar to focus on the search for their inner spirit and purpose. They take in and aid travelers as guests, hoping they will stay to seek their true selves. The arrival of the Autumn season precipitates a large celebration in Palrim. This is the one time of year where a designated lot of the Sacred Woods is to be cut down and made into wondrous items. It is suspected that the wood has its most potent magikal properties at this time of year. Mulcott becomes entranced and focuses on nothing else. They party all day and night praising the Sacred Woods. Women arrange (and sometimes force) themselves to give birth during the celebrated period, thus ensuring that their child will be blessed and possibly be touched with the magik of the Woods. The celebration lasts for three days. The day before Autumn through the day after.